


Drat the Zat by babs

by babs



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Challenge Response, Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-17
Updated: 2011-04-17
Packaged: 2017-10-18 05:04:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/185338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/babs/pseuds/babs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daniel has a little accident.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Drat the Zat by babs

>"Hey, Sam."

Daniel hid a smile when Sam looked up from the computer. Her hair was sticking straight up where she'd run her fingers through it, and he doubted she'd gotten much sleep judging from the dark circles under her eyes.

"Daniel," she acknowledged. She stood up from her chair and pressed her hands to her lower back.

"You okay?" Daniel asked in concern.

"Fine," she sighed. "I'm just running some diagnostics as a favor to Doctor Yarris in R and D," she replied with a smile. "I'm hoping you came by to tell me you have a secret chocolate stash and are willing to share."

Daniel grinned back. "If it was a secret stash, and I showed it to you, it wouldn't be a secret anymore would it?" Sam gave an unladylike snort to his comment.

"Actually I came to invite you to Jack's for dinner. He's going to barbecue."

"My incentive for coming would be?"

"I'm making a chocolate souffle," Daniel said. "Be careful of the drool," he warned Sam as she began to shut down her computer. "Don't want you to cause a short or anything." He laughed as she stuck out her tongue.

"I just need to drop these papers off in the lab," Sam told him as she grabbed a file folder.

"I'll walk with you," Daniel told her. "I'm on my way home anyway."

It didn't take them long to get to the lab. Much as he loved Sam, her discourse on her latest experiment had Daniel's head spinning by the time they arrived, mainly because he wasn't understanding more than about one word in ten.

"I'm sorry," Sam said before they entered the lab.

"Sorry?"

"For boring you."

"I wasn't bored. It was, uh, interesting."

Sam laughed. "Daniel, it isn't even *that* interesting to me. But thanks for listening anyway. Colonel O'Neill would have turned tail and run the other direction."

It was Daniel's turn to smile. "Hey, I need some excuse to make a chocolate souffle. Jack complains about 'fancy-schmancy food'."

Sam grinned and headed towards an older gray-haired woman. She began talking and Daniel figured they'd still be there for a bit. The lab was nearly empty with the exception of a few people gathered around a table. Not wanting to disturb anyone, Daniel stayed near the door. He heard a few voices get louder and saw Sam look up from her discussion, give a brief smile and then turn back to the other woman. One of the people at the table picked up something and walked towards him--a zat gun, he discovered as the man got closer.

Daniel stepped aside to allow the man to pass.

"Oh shit," he heard the man utter a second before the pain from the zat enveloped him. Daniel felt his knees give way as his body reacted to the energy blast and then he was on the floor, the pain still washing over him in waves. In a distant part of his brain he wondered why he wasn't unconscious. Something about the whole incident wasn't making sense. But the pain kept coming, intense and frightening. He felt a hand on his cheek and heard Sam calling his name. He wanted to reply to her, but nothing seemed to be working. He couldn't even seem to move his eyes to look at her. He heard more voices and more hands were on him. He was rolled and lifted. Then ceiling lights were flashing above him as he was wheeled through the halls. Sam was still by his side, but it was getting harder to concentrate on her words with the pain consuming him.

****

"I'm fine." Daniel crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Janet.

She glared back. "I'm guessing that's why you were unresponsive for thirty minutes when you were brought into the infirmary."

"Five hours ago, Janet. That was *five* hours ago." He made his first mistake then, glancing to his hand and the small bandage that covered the insertion site of the IV he'd been given.

"IV, monitoring of your vitals for the past five hours..." Janet pointed out.

Daniel held up his hand. "Okay, I get it. But I do feel fine now, so..."

"You can go home." Janet looked down at his chart one last time. "But,"

"I knew there was going to be a but."

Janet plowed ahead, completely ignoring Daniel's comment. "If you experience any symptoms out of the ordinary, anything that seems off in the slightest, I want someone to bring you in to the infirmary immediately. I don't know why playing with and modifying alien technology holds so much interest for Sam and her friends," Janet finished with a near mutter.

"Hi, Sam," Daniel said in a louder voice when he noticed Sam walking up behind Janet.

Sam gave them both a weak smile. Her eyes were slightly reddened. "How are you feeling, Daniel?"

" Well enough to go home and eat some of Jack's barbecue." Daniel smiled back at her. Janet opened her mouth but Daniel fixed his attention on the doctor and held up his index finger. "And yes, I'll have someone bring me back if anything out of the ordinary happens." He figured he didn't need to mention the way his muscles still hurt from the incident. That was par for the course with a zat blast.

Janet gave him a quick nod and then a brief smile. "Get yourself out of my infirmary, Doctor Jackson. I have sick patients to attend to."

Daniel stood up and looked at Janet's retreating back. "We'd better go, Sam. I want to be home before she changes her mind."

  
****

Jack kept giving him strange looks all through dinner, but didn't say a word. Daniel was reasonably certain Jack had no way of knowing about his little incident with the zat, and Teal'c had been training some new recruits in Jaffa fighting techniques before coming to the barbecue, so Daniel figured he was safe there.

"I thought we were having chocolate souffle for dessert?" Jack commented as he speared a piece of store-bought apple pie with a fork.

Sam sent a panicked look to Daniel and then ducked her head and coughed into her napkin.

"I thought apple pie would go better with the steak," Daniel said and winced as he reached across the table. Oh crap.

Jack's eyes narrowed slightly but he only pressed his lips tightly together and then gave a smile. "Everyone had enough to eat?"

"I did, O'Neill," Teal'c said. "DanielJackson, it appears that your appetite was unusually absent tonight."

Daniel looked at his plate for a brief second. Damn, the muscle spasms in his legs were getting worse instead of better. "I just wasn't very hungry. I ate a big lunch."

Sam patted Daniel's knee under the table. Daniel covered her hand with his and squeezed. She gave a smile and a slight nod before clearing her throat. "I'd better get going, gentlemen. I have an early meeting tomorrow. Teal'c, would you like a ride back to base?"

"That would be most appreciated, MajorCarter."

Jack and Daniel saw them both to the door--he and Jack had never told, and Sam never asked, but Daniel knew Sam and Teal'c were aware of the relationship between him and Jack.

"I'm gonna put the glasses in the dishwasher," Jack said after the door closed.

Daniel smiled and leaned against the door in relief when Jack headed back to the kitchen without another word. He went into the den and turned on the TV, clicking through the channels and stopping on a baseball game.

Jack came into the den a few minutes later and settled on the battered sofa next to Daniel. He didn't say a word, but instead put his arm behind Daniel, slipping his hand to Daniel's neck and beginning a light massage.

"Tense?" he asked.

Daniel groaned in pleasure at the easing of tight muscles. "Mmmhmmm."

"You like that, huh?" Jack murmured. Daniel suppressed a shiver at Jack's low voice.

"Mmm," he responded. Jack's hand was warm and Daniel let his head drop back; his neck muscles finally relaxing and the headache that had been building dissipating.

"Feeling better?"

"Zat. It was a modified zat," Daniel said and then sat up straight, surprised he'd just come out with that little bit of information.

"Modified zat?"

Daniel nodded and immediately regretted it as the headache blossomed up from behind his eyes. He closed them and swallowed hard, hoping he wouldn't throw up on the couch. "Modified. Hurts the same but you don't lose consciousness for awhile."

"Looks like the effects last longer too," Jack commented.

Daniel's head hurt too much for him to respond verbally. He felt Jack's hand on his shoulder and then on his upper arm.

"Let's get you to bed," Jack said, his voice very soft.

Daniel kept his eyes closed and let Jack lead him. The aches that had started to go away with rest and Jack's ministrations came back with a vengeance. All he wanted to was stretch out on the bed and let the mattress cradle him.

****

He could hear Jack moving around the bedroom quietly and then the sound of the toilet flushing, running water. The bed dipped as Jack sat on the edge.

Daniel sighed as Jack's warm hand rested on his forehead.

"How ya feeling? I have some Tylenol. You think you can take them?"

He felt his head being lifted gently. Two pills were placed in his hand and he put them in his mouth, forcing himself not to gag. A plastic cup bumped against his teeth, and Daniel swallowed the pills along with a sip of water. "Sorry," he mumbled. Jack lowered him to the pillow and the bed moved again as Jack got up. He was back a few moments later.

Jack said nothing but began a slow massage of Daniel's right leg.

"Thanks," Daniel managed to say as the pills began to take effect and the headache eased slightly.

"Anytime, Daniel, anytime."

  
****

"Daniel!"

Jack sounded scared and Daniel didn't know why. His headache was even worse than when he'd taken the pills and all he could manage was a moan in response. Everything hurt--even his hair hurt and he never realized hair could hurt. It hurt and he couldn't move. He wanted to open his eyes, wanted to see Jack's face. He wanted to ask what the hell was going on, but he couldn't. Breathing seemed to be harder than he remembered.

"I'm calling for an ambulance," Jack said from somewhere to his side and Daniel heard a low urgent tone.

Not an ambulance, Daniel wanted to say. SGC. But Jack already knew that.

Jack was back then and Daniel could feel Jack's fingers gripping his own tightly. "I'm here, Daniel. It's gonna be alright. You're gonna be fine."

And like a lifeline, Daniel grabbed hold of that promise and hung on tight.

  
****

"DoctorFraiser asked me to convey her message that she would be returning in a few minutes."

"She say anything about him, Teal'c?"

"Only that she is pleased with his vital signs." There was a pause and then Daniel heard the conversation resume. He felt bad for eavesdropping, but he didn't know what else to do. " and that there is no cardiac damage. I believe she wished to share that information with General Hammond."  
A pause again. "MajorCarter..."

"Did she come back again? I told her she needed to get some sleep." Jack sounded disgusted. So it wasn't Sam they were talking about...it must be...

  
Daniel finally tuned into the rhythmic beeping that sounded very close. He moved a hand towards his chest, only to have it captured by another. Someone made a sound of protest.

"No, I don't think Doc wants you pulling off any monitors yet." Jack sounded amused and strangely gentle.

Okay, now that just made him mad. Whatever was stuck to his chest itched and he wanted it off. He tugged his hand away, surprised how much energy it took. "Uumph." Okay, that didn't go so well. He wanted to tell Jack to let go.

"No," Jack said, this time with a little more force. "Teal'c, you wanna go see if Fraiser's on the way? Or if you can find a nurse? Let 'em know Sleeping Beauty here is waking up."

"Leggo." There. That came out the way he wanted. Daniel forced his eyes open. Jack was leaning over him looking very concerned. As Daniel blinked a few times hoping to clear his vision a little more, Jack's expression changed to a big grin.

"Welcome back, Daniel."

"Huh?" Daniel managed. He continued to stare at Jack, who looked happy, although he had no idea why.

"Hey Doc," Jack said, turning to someone Daniel couldn't see. "Lights are on, no one's home."

'Of course I'm not home,' Daniel wanted to say. 'I'm in the infirmary.' For some reason the thought made him giggle. Just a little giggle.

"Feeling no pain, huh, Dannyboy?" Jack asked and stroked his thumb over the back of Daniel's hand.

"Nope," Daniel said and giggled again. "Hey Janet."

"Doctor Jackson."

Daniel beckoned Jack closer with his other hand. "She's mad," he whispered.

"Nah, not mad. Just, uh, a little peeved."

"Peeved?"

"If you gentlemen are done, I'd like to examine Doctor Jackson," Janet said.

Daniel blinked up at her. It must have had some sort of effect on her, because the next thing he knew she was actually smiling back at him.  
He thought he was going to laugh when she touched his chest.

"Tickles," he giggled and pushed her hand away.

"Really?" she answered and put her hand back where it had been as if he hadn't spoken.

Since she wasn't going to listen to him, Daniel studied the ceiling. The bumps on the rough textured surface became dots and he tried to put them into the familiar forms of constellations.

"Daniel!" Janet intruded sharply into his game.

"Huh?" He turned his attention back to her.

"Pain. I asked what number the pain was." She had his wrist in her hand and Daniel turned his head to stare at her small fingers against his pale skin. He didn't reply right away, took stock of his body. Yep, toes, feet, legs, arms, hands--all present and accounted for. And there wasn't pain. Not anything like it had been. More an ache, as if he'd spent the day running from some Jaffa on an alien planet and then hunkered down in damp woods with his team overnight. Stiff and sore, but not in pain.

He made an experimental shrug, pleased it didn't awaken any of the former agony in his head. "No pain," he told her and then smiled when she smiled, proud he'd given the right answer. He didn't mean to, but he yawned then--a huge jaw-cracking one, complete with sound.

Janet laughed a little and then patted his shoulder. "Go back to sleep, Doctor Jackson. We'll be here if you need us."

Daniel nodded, letting her words wash over him as his consciousness dimmed. He heard Jack's voice, the sound of quiet laughter, and then there was silence.

****

"God," Daniel said, cracking one eye open. His mouth felt as if he'd been in a sandstorm.

"No. Just me," Jack pointed out. "You really awake this time?"

"Water," Daniel managed to say. His bed made a whirring sound as the head was raised slightly. He accepted the glass Jack gave him and drained the water in a long gulp. "More?" he asked, handing it back.

Jack obliged him, filling the glass and handing it to him again.

"I'm guessing this means you're feeling better," Jack commented as he leaned back in his chair.

Finished with the second glass, Daniel nodded and then became aware of a more pressing need. He gripped the bed rail and pulled himself up.

"Whoa. What are you doing?" Jack stood up and called for a nurse over his shoulder. He placed his hands on Daniel's arms, holding him in place.

"Need to pee," Daniel said. "And I haven't had an accident in bed since I was about six." He pushed at the bed-rail and cursed under his breath when he couldn't get it down.

"Temper, temper, Doctor Jackson," Jack teased, waggling a finger at him.

"I. Need. To. Pee." Daniel replied, clipping each word.

Jack understood, and so apparently did the nurse. They got the rail down and Daniel vertical. He fought off the slight dizziness and made his way to the toilet grateful for Jack and the nurse's assistance.

Emerging from the bathroom, he found Janet waiting alongside Jack. He looked down at his stomach when it growled.

"We'll see about getting you some food, Daniel," Janet said with a smile.

Daniel nodded and began his walk back to his bed. "May I get dressed?"

"Dressed?" Jack and Janet said in unison as if he'd spoken a foreign language.

"Dressed. You know, shirt, pants, boots. Clothing." Daniel sat on the edge of his bed and stared at them.

"How are you feeling?" Janet asked but before Daniel could reply she held up her hand. "The truth."

Daniel waited a few seconds, taking quick stock of his condition. "Fine."

Jack snorted and shook his head.

"I do," Daniel insisted. "I feel fine."

Janet nodded and Daniel couldn't help a smug grin at Jack as Janet spoke. "All your test results came back within acceptable limits, and according to the information Sam and her colleagues gave me, there should be no more residual effects."

"Speaking of Carter," Jack began, only to be interrupted as Sam entered the infirmary.

"Hey, Sam," Daniel greeted her. He wished someone would bring him clothes because he didn't appreciate giving a free show to Sam and Janet, even if they had seen him undressed on more than one occasion.

"Carter, you want to explain to me what the hell went on?" Jack asked. "Since when do zats cause a person to experience the effects hours later?"

"Doctors Riley and Moore were experimenting with modifying a zat, sir. They've been working on trying to add settings to it." Sam took a deep breath and Daniel held up a hand before she could get going. All he wanted now was to get out of the infirmary. He didn't want to listen to a treatise on zats. "Sorry, Daniel," Sam said and smiled.

"Why doesn't that work for me?" Jack asked in what Daniel thought sounded suspiciously like a whine.

"Um, Janet? Clothes? May I please have my clothes?" Daniel asked.

"See, he whines and you guys jump," Jack said, shoving his hands in his pocket.

"Daniel does not whine, sir," Sam said. She gave Daniel a dazzling smile. "I'm glad you're feeling better, Daniel."

"Thanks, Sam," Daniel replied and clutched the clothes Janet handed him to his chest. "Uh, privacy?"

"Certainly." Janet took hold of the curtain and began to pull it around the bed. "Colonel O'Neill?"

"Yeah?"

"Daniel asked for privacy."

"He didn't mean me too, I'm sure."

"Actually *he* did," Daniel said. Having a few brief moments alone had become a necessity and Jack would be a distraction from the task at hand, albeit a pleasant one.

****

Janet had cleared him for light duty, so Daniel spent the rest of the day in his office, working on translating some scrolls given as a gift to SG-9. He was surprised when Jack entered his office in civvies.

"Jack?"

"Daniel?"

"What are you doing here?"

"I work here. What about you?" Jack asked and then grinned.

"Ass," Daniel replied.

"Why thank you. I've always thought I had a nice one."

"I'm not going to dignify that with an answer." Daniel gave a last longing look to the scrolls, even though he knew he was getting too tired to make sense of what he was doing. He stood and raised a hand to rub at his neck, muscles tight from his intense work.

"You ready?"

"Yeah," Daniel responded and turned off the light. "Home, James."

He followed Jack through the halls, got into the elevator cab, and walked to Jack's truck all without saying a word.

The silence continued as Jack turned the key. They went through the checkpoints and were soon heading down the mountain.

Daniel rested his head on the window, his eyes half-closed while the scenery rolled past.

Placing his right hand on Daniel's thigh, Jack remained silent while keeping his eyes on the road. Daniel smiled in understanding and covered the hand with his own, squeezing it briefly. The only sound was the singing of the tires on the asphalt and the low deep roar of the engine, but Jack had just said, 'I love you, I care about you,' as loudly as he could.

  
Daniel had always been good at translating those messages. Sometimes silence shouted the language of love.

  



End file.
